NEW YORK — Antonio Margarito stepped behind the microphone and introduced himself to the press corps at Madison Square Garden.

"Here comes the criminal," Margarito boasted. "Open the door for the criminal."

The 33-year-old Mexican's black hair draped over the cleft in his forehead. A shaggy beard traced his mouth and jaw line, and the smoky lenses of his glasses concealed his eyes and much of his cheeks. It wouldn't have seemed unreasonable if a black horse was waiting for Margarito outside on 8th Avenue. He played the bad guy that well.

For nearly three years, since hand wraps deemed plaster-like were discovered around his knuckles before a January 2009 fight against Shane Mosley, this man has been considered the villain of boxing.

Margarito basked in the menacing role at a press conference Wednesday, hoping to irritate Miguel Cotto, the World Boxing Association super welterweight champion and opponent for Saturday's grudge match at the Garden.

The questions that have tailed this fight have been numerous. Promoter Bob Arum said nothing short of a pile of cash was necessary to lure these men into the ring again, so adamant was the champion he wouldn't grant Margarito another payday.

Once the fight was agreed on, Margarito sparred with the New York State Athletic Commission to obtain a boxing license. The issue was his right eye. The orbital bone was fractured during Margarito's last fight, a year ago against Manny Pacquiao, and a cataract developed. Surgery by a leading ophthamologist, Alan Crandall, was required to save Margarito's vision, not only his career.

But even the state commission wouldn't block this juicy rematch of Margarito's 2008 knockout victory. It granted Margarito a license on Nov. 22, and the simmering animosity between this fight's two participants returned to a boil.

The feud between the two circles back to the evening of July 26, 2008, in Las Vegas. Margarito and Cotto pummeled one another, but, in the 11th round, Cotto, bludgeoned like never before in his career, relented and suffered his first loss.

Since, Cotto has accused Margarito of illegally reinforcing his hand wraps, although complaints from Cotto didn't surface until months after the fight. Despite Arum and Margarito proclaiming no premeditated wrongdoing, Cotto labeled Margarito a criminal and his relationship with the promoter has soured.

"It's so easy and so good to write articles about plaster and all that stuff," said Arum, blaming the press for keeping the story alive and claiming the Association of Boxing Commissions wronged Margarito. "That makes a better article than to write is this an innocent guy who has been mistreated?"

Once the bell rings, though, Margarito's health will be the foremost story line. Since beating Cotto, he has lost three times and won just once. Pacquiao brutalized Margarito (38-7) over 12 rounds in Arlington, Texas, in November 2010 and Margarito hasn't fought since.

"We've made a few corrections and, of course, we'll try to avoid that left hook," Garcia said. "Tony's faster than before and at 154 (pounds) I think he'll be the stronger man. We've been pushing the sparring partners to throw the left hook because that's what we're going to get."

Cotto (36-2) is no sparing partner. The Puerto Rican is shorter by three inches but packs power nonetheless. The animosity between the two will fuel the duo's borderline brawling style — despite long careers, neither has learned to concede.

"There's a lot of anger, there's a lot of hatred between both of us," Margarito said. "Someone will be getting hurt in this fight. Both of us are going up to hurt each other."

Cotto is also with a new trainer, Pedro Diaz, a celebrated amateur coach in Cuba with a background in sports science who claimed his fighter can go 24 rounds if necessary. Diaz feels Cotto can withstand Margarito while avoiding fatigue, which proved lethal in their first fight.

"Margarito is not a Fancy Dan," Arum said, "Margarito will come ahead and try to bully Cotto the entire match and wear him down."

Cotto promised to exploit any weakness perceptible in Margarito, and to test the durability of his repaired eye.

"He can hit my eye as many times as he wants," Margarito shrugged at the press conference, with a grin toward his opponent. "He hits like a little girl. A super flyweight hits harder. He wants to take it personal. I'll take it very personal, too. Do whatever you want. He's not going to beat me at all. Never. Never."

Cotto, in a pinstripe gray suit, was stern in his retort, and businesslike.

"You are an embarrassment to boxing," Cotto said. "You'll see what a 'little girl' will do to you."